Two men rehabilitated and able to walk on their own. (Photo: Sebit Patrick/Eye Radio).

Some persons with disabilities in Juba said they will now be able to lead normal lives and support their families after receiving physical rehabilitation and psychosocial support from the Physical Rehabilitation Reference Center in Juba.

The center managed by the National Ministry of Gender Child and Social Welfare, was established in 2009 and is supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The center has provided over 1,600 people with physical rehabilitation, helped nearly 10,000 people with physiotherapy session and provided mobility aid, wheelchairs and postural support devices to over 1,000 people, the ICRC said.

Beneficiaries at the center includes those with severed limbs as result of the decades of Sudanese civil war and those with emerging cases of diabetes.

James Duop from Akobo County in Jonglei State lost his leg to a landmine in 1995 – but it has now been fitted with an artificial device that enables him to walk on his own.

In an interview with Eye Radio on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Mr. Duop said he had never imagined being able to do normal activities again after the incident.

“It was very terrible to me I did thought that maybe I will not do the normal activity like I was before,” he said.

“But when I was integrated to use the processors then I can go to the market without any challenge, I can hold a heavy thing just like a normal person.”

Due to recurrent armed hostilities and violence, the number of people in need of physical rehabilitation services throughout the country remains high, according to ICRC.

In partnership with national and local authorities, the ICRC provides services across three Physical Rehabilitation Centres it supports in Juba, Rumbek, and Wau.

The organization started the rehabilitation program in South Sudan in 2009.

The ICRC has also been working in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare for more than a decade on the rehabilitation program and in close coordination with the Ministry of Sports and the South Sudan Wheelchair Basketball Association.

Hayat Mohamed was married with five children when she lost her leg in an helicopter bombing during the Sudanese civil war. Since then, her husband had left her with the children.

“My husband abandoned me with the children. I had to toil for everything yet I have nothing. Although I wanted a small shop, going to the market itself is difficult so we acquire things from the nearby shop but it needs money too.”

“But these processors are helpful, I can go out and acquire something for the children, go to the market, except for farmlands that are far.”

Khalid Babaker had lost his limb during an aerial bombing targeting his town in Sudan.

“Normally, I used to support my family but after this incident, I lost everything but with the help of these artificial mobility aid I will now be able to run around and support my family.”

On his part, Emmanuel Lubari, the Manager of the Rehabilitation Center said they offer multiple service in the facility.

Mr. Lubari told Eye Radio the center does clinical assessment before rehabilitating patients with mobility aid, postural support and wheelchairs.

“The center is here to rehabilitate, to give them artificial devices. Everything is done here. We also have wheelchairs that we give, we normally don’t give just like that, we do a clinical assessment then now we will be able to rehabilitate that person according to their pathology of the patient.”

“We also give elbow crotches that we manufacture here locally and offer mental health and psychosocial support for persons with disability and exclusively for persons with disability.”